


Kinda More Like Pacts

by sperrywink



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Deals, F/M, quid pro quo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 09:59:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17180813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sperrywink/pseuds/sperrywink
Summary: Hermione makes a deal withthe devil, a Slytherin to get what she wants.





	Kinda More Like Pacts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aaronlisa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/gifts).



Hermione discreetly adjusted her skirt which fit poorly, and sighed internally. She had never been a booming party kind of girl, and after Harry defeated Voldemort all Ministry parties were booming affairs. The place was decked out in blue and white streamers and lights for a winter wonderland theme, the alcohol was flowing freely, and she was overwhelmed by the volume of noise and she was still in the entrance to the ballroom.

Sigh, again. 

Plastering a fake smile on her face, she entered and began working the room. People rushed up to her to suck-up and get pictures with “the” Hermione Granger, hoping it would make it into the society pages of the Daily Prophet. She hated it, but she was still trying to be a force for reform in the Wizarding World, so she bore it with as much grace as possible. She had already instituted protections for the health and wellbeing of house elves, rebuilt the Wizarding World’s relationship with the goblins (and that was a hard task, considering her role in breaking in and releasing their dragon), and cemented a stronger relationship with the centaurs. Now it was time for her hardest challenge, but one of the most important to her- werewolf rights and easier access to Ministry-supplied wolfsbane.

Spotting a key figure in the Ministry’s potions department who she needed to convince to make and fund the wolfsbane, she made a beeline for them, and said, “Hello, Malfoy, fancy seeing you here.”

Malfoy inelegantly snorted, but then smoothed his face out. “We’re both always here, Granger. The only one who works more than me, is you. Even Potter has a life. And I know what you want and the answer is still, ‘we don’t have the funds.’”

Hermione gritted her teeth and fake-smiled again. “Well, why don’t I have my secretary set up a meeting and we can brainstorm how to find the funds.”

Taking a large gulp of his drink obviously as frustrated with her as she was with him, Malfoy said, “Because I don’t have time for pipe dreams.”

Hermione wanted to smack him. He claimed he wasn’t against her legislation, just the cost of it, which put him at odds with her in every departmental head meeting. He was getting on her last nerve, and she suspected she was doing the same to him, which gave her a small, malicious thrill. She had to get her jollies somewhere, since as Malfoy so helpfully pointed out, her job was her life considering it was just her and Crookshanks since she had broken up with Ron five years ago.

Finding her temper short after his snide dismissal, Hermione said, “You’re rich as Croesus so no wonder it’s all about the money to you and not the human component.”

“I’m rich as Croesus as you say, because I know how to manage money, and throwing good money away isn’t how to do that. I would think even you would recognize that.”

“It’s not throwing away good money! It’s helping people have happier and more inclusive lives!”

“I’ve known more werewolves than you, Granger, and it is definitely throwing away good money. They don’t want to be human.”

“Well, of course that’s your excuse, but not everyone is feral like Fenrir.”

People were edging away from Hermione and Malfoy as their voices raised in heated argument, until the Daily Prophet photographer came up and cheerily said, “Smile!” as she took a picture of them. Hermione barely had time to wrestle a smile onto her face and it was obvious Malfoy was trying to do the same.

Hermione blinked away the flash, and sighed. She knew that picture would make it into the Prophet with some caption like, “War Heroine Bedazzles Reformed Death Eater.” By the look on Malfoy’s face he knew it too, and was equally as annoyed by it.

Straightening her shoulders, Hermione refused to let herself be sidetracked. She asked, “Is there anything I can do to convince you to find the funding either personally or professionally?”

Malfoy gaped at her. “You want me to fund it personally? Are you out of your mind?”

“You have the money and if I can prove that the measure works, and that they will take the wolfsbane, then we can move to public funding in a couple years. Think of all the individuals you’ll be helping!”

“A couple-! You’re absolutely mad! No!”

“There must be something you want that I can help with.”

Malfoy gave her a withering look, but then a calculating one followed it, and she knew she had him on the ropes. “You know if I back some proposal of yours, it’ll have more cache with the current Ministry.”

“And Potter in the Auror’s office?”

Hermione blinked in surprise. “What could you want with Harry?”

“Theo Nott has been applying to be an Auror, but the bar keeps getting set higher and higher for him. I want Potter to give him a chance. He was never marked as a death eater and he wants to atone for his father.”

“That’s all you want? For Nott to get a fair chance at being accepted into the Auror ranks? I can’t do anything about how he’s treated once there, you know. I can’t solve prejudice on my own.”

“Not for lack of trying, I’m sure,” Malfoy mumbled under his breath, which Hermione ignored. She was an idealist, so sue her.

Scanning the crowd for Harry’s messy hair, she said, “I’ll talk to Harry now, if we have a deal?”

“You really think you can convince him?”

“Harry’s not prejudiced. He wants the world to be a better place just as much as I do, and to do that, we all have to work together. He’s a firm defender of my werewolf legislation and endeavors. Treating Theodore Nott fairly should be a small price to pay.”

“So you say.” It was obvious Malfoy would believe it when he saw it.

She again asked, “Deal?”

“Only if Nott gets accepted.”

Hermione said, “Done,” and they shook on it.  
  
  
  


* * *

* * *

  
  
  
  
After talking to Harry, who claimed he didn’t even know Nott had been applying and agreed to look into it, Hermione practically skipped into the office the next Monday. She told her assistant, “Please make an appointment with Malfoy in the Potions Department for tomorrow, please.”

“Yes, Miss Granger.” 

Hermione couldn’t wait to get Malfoy’s backing for her bill, and she eagerly waited to hear from Harry all day. It was just after five that he stuck his head in. “Malfoy was right. Jenkins has been blocking Nott’s application. I raked him over the coals, and Nott will start with the next class of cadets.”

Hermione bounced in her seat. “Yes!!”

“I can’t believe Malfoy agreed to fund your project for so little.”

“I guess he cares more for his friends than we gave him credit for, but whatever it is, I don’t care. I’m just thankful for it.” Hermione gathered up some work to take home, and asked, “Walk me to the Floo?”

“Of course,” and Harry held out his arm, which Hermione looped through hers happily. They chatted about their friends and acquaintances on the way to the Floo, not wanting to discuss serious business in the hallways.

The next morning her assistant informed her that Malfoy had agreed to a meeting at three in the afternoon. She beamed at her assistant who blinked in surprise, and then shook his head as if calling her crazy for being excited to meet with Malfoy. She again didn’t care. When it grew close to three, she headed down the elevator and out into the annex where the potions department was kept. She walked briskly and determinedly, and was knocking on Malfoy’s doorframe at exactly three.

He looked up from the papers on his desk, and with a resigned sigh said, “Come in.”

Hermione practically bounced into his office and the one free chair. He said, “I get the feeling I should have held out for more, considering how quickly you made my request happen.”

“No backing out now!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, I’m just wondering if I can extend your good will to include another favor?”

“Depends on what it is, of course.”

Looking uncomfortable, Draco ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. “Pansy has started a designer clothes’ line, but her English sales are weak due to her actions in the War. She would appreciate it if you could try some of her clothes, and wear them if they suit you.”

Kind of shocked, all Hermione could think to say was, “Pansy hates my guts.”

“No, she _hated_ your guts. Now she’s indifferent to you, but is cognizant of the power you still wield in setting trends.”

Hermione sat back against the chairback as she considered the request. Getting Harry to do the right thing was easily done, but having to deal with Pansy Parkinson herself? That sounded like torture. But still, it wasn’t an outrageous request especially since Malfoy seemed willing to uphold his end of the deal without it. She would feel churlish to refuse.

“Okay, on one condition.”

“Name it.”

“You have to come with me to Pansy’s shop and ease the waters.”

“You want me to watch you try on clothes?” Malfoy’s eyebrows were heading towards his hairline in surprise.

“I want you to provide a buffer between me and Pansy.”

“You realize I don’t even do this for my own mother?”

“You can practice for your wife.”

Malfoy rolled his eyes. “Then by all means, I’ll protect you from the vicious, wild Pansy.”

“Okay then. I’m free Saturday?”

“Very well. And thank you.”

“Do you mind me asking why you are only asking for favors for your friends?”

“Even I care, Granger.” There was now some bite in his voice.

Hermione grimaced. “I didn’t mean it like that, I meant why didn’t you ask for something for yourself? You kind of had me over a barrel, but you totally softballed me for favors.”

“You know I have no idea what that means? What the hell is softball? Does that use those merf guns I see little kids with?”

Hermione giggled. “Nerf guns, and no. Softball doesn’t actually have a squishy ball, it is just not as hard as a baseball, which is an American sport. It just means you didn’t ask me for the impossible to get out of doing what I wanted.”

“First of all, I don’t need anything, and secondly, these were intractable problems for my friends. They weren’t ‘softballs’ to us.”

“Fair enough,” Hermione replied, although she was still thinking Malfoy had gone easy on her. She said, “So when can I expect the first batches of Wolfsbane?”

“The next full moon is in three weeks, so we have time to prepare a couple of batches. How many doses do you need to start?”

“I have five definites to start, although I would love ten doses just in case some more people come out of the woodwork. I expect as the free wolfsbane becomes known, we will need to increase the number of doses proportionally each month.”

Malfoy leaned back in his chair, and looked at the ceiling in contemplation. “We can safely brew about twenty doses at a batch, after that it becomes unwieldy and less stable. So, if we start at five to ten doses for the first few months, we will be fine with one brewer, and we can reevaluate in six months to see if we need to add another at that time. Sound acceptable?”

Hermione beamed at him, which caused him to raise his eyebrows again, but she just smiled wider at him. “Sounds perfect!”

“Please restrain yourself, Granger. It isn’t that exciting.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Malfoy. I know this is going to be a smashing success, and a huge step forward for the British Wizarding World.”

Malfoy rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, inclusivity and all for one and one for all.”

Wondering if by some miracle Malfoy had read the muggle author Dumas, Hermione just laughed in his face. “Exactly!” Standing up, she said, “Send me the address of Pansy’s shop, and I’ll meet you there around two on Saturday?”

“Will do.”

“Nice doing business with you, Malfoy.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get out of my office.”

Hermione left with a spring in her step, already planning how to organize the free wolfsbane delivery and draft the proposal for the ministry for this pilot study. In the back of her mind, she was also wondering at how easily she had gotten along with Malfoy, and reconsidering having him go to her appointment with Pansy. She realized now it would have made more sense to have one of her friends back her up, but she had been afraid that that would just escalate tensions, and she really did want to do these favors for Malfoy in good faith. She considered herself honorable, and didn’t want to be shown up to Malfoy, of all people. She didn’t know why she cared about what he thought, but she did. Which was disturbing, and she vowed never to think about it again.  
  
  
  


* * *

* * *

  
  
  
  
Saturday came around much too soon for Hermione’s liking, but she got her shopping and chores done, and then took a shower and dressed in tailored, but comfortable clothes that would be easy to deal with when trying on new clothes. She didn’t want to look like a total schlub in sweatpants and a t-shirt in front of Pansy and Malfoy.

She Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron, and then walked to Pansy’s shop on a fashionable side street off Diagon Alley that she had seen but never been down before since she did most of her clothing shopping in muggle London. Taking a deep breath, she entered and a little bell rang on the door chain.

The shop was… surprisingly charming. It was airy and welcoming, with comfy chairs spread about the clothes racks and mirrors discretely on pillars throughout the space. It was neither jampacked with clothes that always became a mess, nor did it have only two dresses on display for ten thousand galleons each. There was just enough stock to make one feel comfortable and like the perfect gown could be found. Hermione was surprised, but then she guessed she never really knew Pansy or her style.

Pansy and Malfoy came out from the back laughing good-naturedly together, both stopping once she came into view. Feeling awkward for interrupting them, Hermione just gave a slight wave and said, “Hi, Malfoy, Pansy.”

Malfoy nudged Pansy, who huffed and said, “Hi, Hermione. Thanks for coming in. I’ve set aside some selections I think would suit you.”

Hermione asked, “You don’t want me to look around first?”

“Only if you don’t like what I’ve picked out. I know this must be uncomfortable for you. I won’t keep you.”

Hermione frowned, not enjoying feeling like Pansy was expecting her to be snobbish. “Your shop is lovely. I’d be happy to look around. I don’t want to put you out, though.”

Now Pansy was frowning at her and rolling her eyes. “I know Draco put you up to this, you don’t need to put on an act with me.”

“Draco did ask me to come to your shop as a favor, but it’s a charming place. I’m happy to shop here.”

Pansy gave her a disbelieving look. “We hated each other in school, Granger. I told them to give up Potter. Nobody forgets that.”

Suddenly feeling fiercely protective, but of Pansy and not Harry, which was a feeling she wasn’t going to delve deeper into, Hermione said, “Maybe not, but I can forgive it, as well as the schoolyard bullying. We’re adults, I would hope we can find common ground now. Particularly since seeing your gowns, I admire your style. I always feel so plain at the various post-War to-dos.”

Pansy gave her another disbelieving look, but before she could say anything, Malfoy put his hand on her shoulder and said, “It doesn’t matter now; Granger is here. Why don’t you show her what you picked out for her?”

Pansy looked over at Malfoy with a speaking glance, but then shook out her shoulders and said, “Right. Whether it’s a favor or not, I appreciate your business. Come on to the back where there are dressing rooms. I have a rack with the dresses I picked as well as various sizes since I wasn’t positive of your exact measurements.”

Hermione followed Pansy to the back of the store, while Pansy talked about the benefits of jewel tones with Hermione’s coloring. Next followed a surreally enjoyable two hours of trying on clothes and being catered to by Pansy. Malfoy stayed as promised, and provided just the right amount of wolf-whistling and admiration for both Pansy’s dresses and Hermione’s figure. It was kind of intoxicating being the center of attention of the Slytherins in a good way, another thought Hermione wasn’t going to delve into.

Finally, after finding a miraculous four gowns she was thrilled with, and Pansy promising to tailor them to Hermione’s measurements, which she now had on file, Hermione changed back into her tailored trousers and shirt to head home. To Hermione’s surprise, Pansy gave her a brief hug good-bye, which she was happy to return. 

Malfoy walked her out, and said, “Thank you again, Granger. Good doing business with you.”

And Hermione found her self saying, “Fancy a cup of coffee, Malfoy? I could use a pick-me-up.”

Malfoy looked surprised for a moment, before smoothing out his expression and saying, “Careful. People might think we’re friends.”

“Well, that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

Crossing his arms, which made him look defensive instead of authoritative as Hermione guessed he was going for, Malfoy replied, “It wouldn’t be good for your reputation.”

“Screw my reputation. Next week I’m wearing one of Pansy’s dresses to the ten-year anniversary. I think I can handle being your friend too.”

Malfoy stepped closer. “Only your friend?”

“Oh,” Hermione said, suddenly twigging onto the fact that she had been flirting with Malfoy for the last two hours while trying on dresses. She usually wasn’t that unobservant, but this was Malfoy. It was a sudden realization to consider him a real boy; someone who she could be attracted to and who could be attracted to her. She looked into his eyes, and only saw sincerity. “I’d like more than that.”

Malfoy pressed a kiss to her jaw. “You’re playing with fire, little lion.”

“I love the heat,” she said, and he groaned and kissed her firmly on the mouth. She grinned into the kiss, and he finally pulled back laughing too. As it turned out, deals with Slytherins turned into the best ones she’d made all year.


End file.
